Mount for shearing heads



July 6, 1943. J. A. HANLEY 2,323,655

MOUNT FOR nmnme amps Filed Oct. 16, 1939 ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE K 2,323,655 MOUNT FOR snnanmo nuns John A. Hanley, Noroton, Oonn., assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a

corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1939, Serial No. 299,584

16 Claims.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above type in which the shearing assembly is securely yet removably mounted upon the handle member or casing without resort to keeper bars, holding straps or brackets that are apt to cause bending or distortion of the thin metal of the fixed blade and thus interfere with the shearing operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above type, which permits ready removability of the shearing head from the handle member for sterilization or replacement purpose, which permits ready and instant, fool-proof application thereof to the handle member and which nevertheless assures accurately guided movement of the movable blade in operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the above type in which although substantially the entire surface of the fixed shearing blade is exposed and may be brought into contact with the surface to be shaved, its corners and edges are neverthless so efl'ectively guarded that abrasion or cutting of the user thereby is substantially precluded.

In the accompanying drawing in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the operating end of a hair shearing apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the end of the handle member with the shearing unit removed therefrom,

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse cross-section on a larger scale taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of the invention,

Fig. 5 is a plan view ,of the shearing head and associated guard withpart of the head broken away,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modifled form of shearing head and guard assembly.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 7 with part ofthe shearing head cut away.

7 driving transmission (not shown).

thereof protrude.

Fig. 9 is a' view similar to Fig. 7 of a further modification, and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 9 with portions of the guard plate and of the shearing assembly cut away.

Referring now to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, thereis shown a handle member ID of insulating material desirably a casing, within which is enclosed the motor, ordinarily an electric motor (not shown) and the member is desirably reduced in width near its end to present a fiat end face ll upon which the shearing assembly S is sustained.

In the embodiment shown, the supporting end II is narrower than the shearing head S so that the effective lengths of the cutting margins However, at the ends, the supporting area is widened as at l2, to afford a long mount for the end edges of the shearing assembly and thus to prevent the latter from rocking.

The shearing assembly may be of the generally fiat construction shown in the prior patents above identified. Briefly stated, it includes an inner rectangular movable blade I 3 preferably of stainless steel, t0 be driven in a reciprocating movement from the motor, and an outer fixed blade I4 preferably also of stainless steel, which desirably is in the form of a sheath having intumed flanges l5, straddling the toothed edges l6 of the movable blade I3. The fixed blade is provided with slots I 1 forming teeth at the upper face of the lateral margins thereof and communicating with hair shedding slots l8 at their inturned portions. The toothed cutting margins of the fixed blade have snug engagement at [9 with the teeth of the movable blade. The mid-section of the fixed blade is preferably bowed away as at 20 from the movable blade. The inturned flanges of the fixed blade preferably rest upon the fiat end of the handle casing,

For releasably attaching the shearing assembly to the handle casing, resort is had preferably to a. pair of pins P provided with heads 2|. The pins preferably extend fairly snugly through corresponding circular apertures 22 in the fixed blade I and through apertures 23 of correspondingwidth in the inner blade l3, which are however elongated 'as shown, to permit the reciprocating movement of said inner blade.

The pins P are bifurcated for resilient lit in corresponding wells 25 in the casing. The slit 24 defining the bifurcations preferably terminates in an enlarged transverse hole 26 in the The handle pin for enhanced yield and resiliency at the prongs 21 formed thereby. In the assembled structure the entire length of the slot is preferably embedded in the handle member so that the upp r portions 28 of the pin shanks which are engaged by the shearing assembly are rigid and unyielding and in operation therefore, form a secure track or guid for strict rectilinear movement of the movable blade l3.

By the construction set forth, a number of important advantages are gained. Keeper bars, holding straps or holding brackets for retaining the shearing assembly upon the handle memher are eliminated. Accordingly, the slight distortion or bending of the thin outer blade ll, frequently occurring where retaining structures of such type are employed. is obviated, as is the resultant interference with smooth shaving action. Moreover, engagement of the shearing head at any desired angle with the surface to be shaved is facilitated, for there is no obstruction due to such keeper bars, holding straps or brackets.

The resilient attachment of the shearing assembly to the casing being eflected entirely at the lower ends of the shanks of the pins, which extend into the rigid handle member, the shearing head is firmly attached without the possibility of strain or distortion, especially of the thin outer blade l4. As a consequence, the accuracy of fit of the respective cutting areas of the shearing assembly is not disturbed, there is no interference with the efllcacy of the shearing action, and the shearing operation occurs efllciently and without added frictional load upon the motor or the possibility of jamming incurred where distortion or bending of the blade results from the secure application of certain constructions of mounting clip, clamp or bracket.

The bowed mid-portion of the fixed blade I4 is preferably depressed as at 30 at the region of the pin heads 2|, so that the latter come substantially flush with the outer face of the blade i4 and so that in the assembled structure, the area of the outer blade immediately about the pins P substantially engages the movable or inner blade l3.

Were the mounting pins P applied at the bowed fixed blade 20, without resort to the countersunk seats for the pins, the pins when pressed home would deflect or distort said fixed blade and might thereby impair the accurate marginal engagement thereof at is with the teeth of the moving blade l3. Moreover, such deflected blade by virtue of its resilience would tend to draw out the pins and impair the security of mounting. By the arrangement shown, the fixed blade has three regions of support upon the moving blade, namely at the two cutting margins l9 and at the heads 2| of the pins and, therefore, distortion due to the mounting of said fixed blade is avoided.

Guard ledges 3| unitary with the handle casing structure rise from the supporting end If and extend, as best shown in Fig. 1 along the length and across the thickness of the ends of the shearing assembly. The guard ledges are preferably crowned as at 32 at their mid-sections, to extend substantially flush with the shearing assembly. Thereby the corners or edges of the shearing assembly are guarded, and the face of the user is protected against possible abrasion.

The guard ledges 3| act as such merely. and do not serve to attach or secure the shearing head to the handle member and according y, cannot in anywise impose distortion or stress upon the thin fixed shearing blade, the shearing assembly being afflxed to the handle member without distortion, in the manner previously described.

The shearing assembly can be readily pulled off the handle member. The pins P will come ofi with said assembly, but will not drop because of the resilient spread of the bifurcations 21. The pins may however be readily pushed out if desired to permit taking the shearing assembly apart. Reassembly and reapplication is easily accomplished.

The embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6, that of Figs. 7 and 8 and that of Figs. 9 and 10 show alternative arrangements of guard ledges, made as units apart from the handle casing and, therefore, applicable to handle casings with flat ends devoid of the integral ledges 3i shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

In the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6. a guard plate 35, preferably of metal is interposed between the shearing assembly 8 and the end 38 of the handle member. Guard plate 35 is prefrably of width no greater than that of the casing end 36 and widens out'slightly at its ends as at 31 to the width of the shearing assembly and has at each end an upstanding ledge or flange 38 the upper end of which is crowned at 39 to come substantially flush with the face of the shearing assembly,

The guard plate 35 as shown in Fig. 5 has apertures 40 therein for the holding pins P and an elongated central aperture 41 through which the operating lever (not shown) protrudes to engage the movable shearing blade.

In the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8, the guard plate 42 is similar to guard plate 35, except that instead of the upturned end flanges, its end flanges are upturned a at 43 and inturned as at 44 to present a pair of marginal surfaces, the face of each of which has a convexity, to come substantially flush with the face of the shearing assembly S and the inner edges 45 of which come substantially into abutting engagement with the end edges of the interposed shearing assembly 8.

In the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10, the guard plate 46 differs from the other embodiments in that the end flanges straddle the thickness of the shearing assembly, the upstanding ledges 41 having short inturned flanges 48 which overlap the end edges of the shearing assembly. The shearing assembly is thus slipped laterally into the guard plate.

In each of the embodiments of Figs. 4 to 10 the edges of the guard are rounded as shown to present a smooth non-cutting surface and the user is, therefore, effectively protected thereby from abrasion by the relatively sharp corners of the shearing assembly. Moreover in each of these embodiments, the guard flanges at the ends of the shearing assembly are crowned or rounded at the upper surface to conform to the contour of the shearing assembly. Said crowning is shown at 39 in Fi 4. and at 5! and 52 respectively in Figs. 7 and 9.

While the guard plate in each of the embodiments of Figs. 4 to 10 might be molded into, or otherwise made a unitary part of the handle member, as for instance by means of screws (not shown) in holes 53 in the embodiment of Figs. 9 and 10, it is desirable to make it as a separate piece, as in the embodiments of Figs. 4 to 8, when it is clamped into position by the resilient holding pins P, and is removable with the shearing assembly.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter-contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

1. A hair shearing apparatus, comprising a handle member having a relatively fiat rectangular end piece ledges unitary therewith and rising from the narrower sides thereof, a relatively fiat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade positioned between said ledges, and pins extending through said assembly, removably afflxing the same to said end.

2. A hair shearing apparatus including a handle member having a fiat narrow end, a shearing head including a fixed outer blade and a movable inner blade coacting therewith, a guard plate interposed between said casing end and said shearing head, said guard plate having integral end flanges extending over and guarding the end edges of the shearing head, and means removably securing said shearing head to said handle member.

3. A hair shearing apparatus, including a handle member having a fiat narrow end, a shearing head including a fixed outer blade and a movable inner blade coactlng therewith. a guard plate interposed between said end and said shearing head, said plate having integral end flanges extending over and guarding the end edges of the shearing head, and means comprising a pair of removable pins extendin through said shearing head and said guard plate, and serving removably to aiilx said elements to the handle member.

4. In a hair shearing unit, the combination of a handle including a narrow, fiat, generally rectangular end, a shearing head including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade, said shearing head being wider than said handle end for eifective protrusion of the cutting edges thereof, a metal guard plate of dimensions corresponding to those of said end and interposed between said end and said shearing head, and having narrow upstanding end ledges of the width of said shearing head and guarding the and edges of said shearing head, and means comprising a pair of pins extending through the shearing head and the guard plate, removably to attach said head to the handle member.

5. A hair shearing unit comprising a handle member having a fiat narrow generally rectangular end, a guard plate of width generally corresponding to that of said end to rest thereupon, said plate being widened near its ends and having upstanding end ledges of greater width than the intermediate part of the plate, a shearing head comprising an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade of width corresponding to that of said upstanding ledges and correspondingly wider than that of the guard plate, said shearing head resting upon said guard plate with the length thereof lodged between said upstanding ledges for shielding the ends of said head thereby, and means apart from said ledges for releasably securing the shearing head to said handle member.

6. A hair shearing unit comprising a casing having a, fiat narrow generally rectangular end, a guard plate of width generally corresponding to that of said end to rest thereupon, said plate being widened near its ends and having upstanding end ledges of greater width than the intermediate part 01' the plate, a shearing head comprising an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade of width corresponding to that of said upstanding ledges and correspondingly wider than that o! the guard plate, said shearing assembly'resting upon said guard plate with the length thereof lodged between said upstanding ledges for shielding the ends of said assemblythereby, and means comprising a pair of resilient pins extending through said shearing head and said guard plate into corresponding wells in the casing, and serving releasably to attach the shearing head and the guard plate to the casing.

7. A guarded hair shearing head, comprising a relatively fiat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable, blade, a guard plate supporting said assembly, said plate being of width narrower than that of said shearing assembly and having widened ends terminatmit movement of said blade with respect to such pins.

8. A hair shearing unit comprising a handle casing with a narrow fiat end, a guard plate resting upon said end and having upstanding end ledges each with a crowned upper edge and a relatively flat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade resting upon said guard plate and coming flush with the tops of said ledges and shielded thereby, and pins through said shearing assembly and said guard plate removable to amx said elements to said casing.

9. In a hair shearing apparatus, a handle member having a fiat narrow end, a flat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade, a guard plate therefor interposed between said shearing assembly and said handle member, said guard plate having up-turned and inturned end flanges to guard the corners and end edges of the shearing assembly, and means through said shearing assembly and extending into the handle member for removably attaching said assembly in position.

10. In a hair shearing apparatus, a handle member having a fiat narrow end, a fiat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade, a guard plate therefor interposed between said shearing assembly and said handle member, said guard plate having reversely turned end ledges, the surfaces of which extend substantially flush with the fixed blade of the shearing assembly and guard the end edges thereof, and pins extending through the shearing assembly and said guard plate removably to aflix the same to said handle member.

11. In a hair shearing apparatus, a handle member having a flat narrow end, a flat shearing assembly including an outer fixed blade and an inner movable blade, a guard plate therefor interposed between said shearing assembly and said end, said guard plate having ledges extending upward over the end edges of said shearing shearing assembly and guard plate in position upon said handle member.

12. In a hair shearing apparatus, the combination oi a handle member having a iiat blade carrying end, a blade assembly including an inner movable shearing blade and an outer fixed shearing blade sheathing the former, and laterally expansible pins extending through corresponding apertures in said assembly, and into corresponding wells in the handle member resiliently engaging the walls of said wells for removable retention therein.

13. In a hair shearing apparatus, the combination oi a handle member having a flat blade carrying end, a blade assembly including an inner movable shearing blade and an outer fixed shearing blade sheathing the former, resilient pins extending through corresponding apertures in said assembly into corresponding wells in the handle member for removable attachment thereto, said pins being headed and having split resilient shanks, whereby after withdrawal of the blade assembly from the handle member the pins will remain connected thereto, but may be readily withdrawn therefrom.

14. In a hair shearing apparatus, the combination of a handle casing having a flat shearing head supporting structure, a shearing head therefor comprising a movable inner blade and a fixed outer blade sheathing the latter and snugly eng ing the lateral margins or the inner blade for shearing coaction thereat, the intermediate portion of the outer blade being bowed away from said cutting margins, a pair oi headed mounting pins extending through corresponding apertures in said shearing assembly for plugging into corresponding wells in the easing, the body portion 01 the outer blade having counter-sunk seats for the pin heads for substantial contact of said seats with the inner blade.

15. A hair shearing unit comprising a handle memberhaving a ilat supporting end, a shearing head comprising an inner movable blade and an outer fixed blade, and a pair of pins extending through said blades into corresponding wells in said supporting end, said pins being laterally expansible in the part thereof within said wells for resiliently engaging the walls of the latter in order removably to retain said pins therein, said pins being rigid at the part traversing the shearing head, said rigid pin portions serving as guides for the reciprocating movement 01' the movable blade.

16. A hair shearing unit comprising a handle member having a flat supporting end, a metal guard member rigidly ailixed to said end and having upturned and inturned end flanges, a shearing blade assembly removably mounted upon said guard plate and over-lapped at its end by said inturned flanges, the said flanges conforming to the contour of said blade assembly, and removable resilient pins extending through said blade assembly and said guard plate into said handle member.

JOHN A. HANLEY. 

